Oldest playable race in WoW

[Aucald]

Why does everyone say this? 16,000 years ago was the Aqir wars, when all other trolls existed. The Zandalari had existed for thousands of years prior to that.

Yes, and 30,000 years ago was the height of the Eredar civilization that Sargeras visited. We don't know exactly when either race truly began their civilization, but since the Legion came to the Eredar 14,000 years before the Zandalari found the Aqir, it stands to reason that their civilization is still much older. It also scans as the Eredar/Draenei are also far longer-living than the Trolls, with some of the Draenei living on Azeroth today remembering Argus before the Legion came.

[Dalheim]

Yes, and 30,000 years ago was the height of the Eredar civilization that Sargeras visited. We don't know exactly when either race truly began their civilization, but since the Legion came to the Eredar 14,000 years before the Zandalari found the Aqir, it stands to reason that their civilization is still much older. It also scans as the Eredar/Draenei are also far longer-living than the Trolls, with some of the Draenei living on Azeroth today remembering Argus before the Legion came.

I'm not arguing that the trolls are older than the Eredar, which they likely aren't, just that the trolls are far older than 16,000 years!

From Azeroth, trolls are the most ancient, outside Azeroth from playable, Draenei.

[Terongor]

In literally the same website you linked, it is also stated that the Empire is located on the island of Zandalar, formerly a mountain range where the first trolls settled around over 16,000 years ago and that the Trolls have been around for at least over 15.000 years. While that is impressive, They can't be older than the Eredar, who were already the most advanced civilization in the cosmos 25.000 years prior to the First War.

We don't know if that is twisting nether time or normal time as one year in cosmos is rougly 28.5 years in nether as draenai traveled alot in twisting nether as our 35 years were atleast a thousand years in the nether. If they even spent alltogether 500 years in nether it would be over 14 000 years.

[Dellis0991]

In that case, so are Orcs. xD

Them too obviously.

[Varodoc]

We don't know if that is twisting nether time or normal time as one year in cosmos is rougly 28.5 years in nether as draenai traveled alot in twisting nether as our 35 years were atleast a thousand years in the nether. If they even spent alltogether 500 years in nether it would be over 14 000 years.

We know that Kil'jaeden and Archimonde joined the Legion 25.000 years ago (this is stated by the writers in the Chronicles, not a Draenei NPC), and at that time Argus was still in the Great Dark Beyond, unlike in Legion where it was enveloped in the Twisting Nether.

[Destinas]

Draenei are the oldest playable race. While different sources say they fled Argus 25,000 years ago, Khadgar says at the end of Bringer of the Light that Kil'jaeden corrupted Rakeesh 13,000 years ago. In either scenario, Velen has been alive even longer than that - he was the leader of the Eredar suring a period of the "Second Duumvirate" (when it was just him and Kil'jaeden), and later on Archimonde made it the Triumvirate (with enough time for that to change things in Mac'Aree, like the role of the Wakeners, Archimonde's trials for his part of the Crown, etc). Even after they left Argus, they landed on several other planets to flee from the Legion for thousands upon thousands of years.

Orcs are the oldest playable race from Draenor, but they are not older than Draenei. Around the time that the Draenei were first fleeing Argus, Aggramar discovered Draenor and created Grond to combat the Sporemounds. The oldest race on Draenor (not playable) would, perhaps, be Genesaur or Botani (from the Sporemounds) - the oldest non playable race on Draenor that are related to the orcs would be the Colossals, which chipped off of Grond. Orcs stayed in their ancestral caves (which would later become Blackrock Foundry) for thousands of years, while the Draenei were already on dimensional ships.

On Azeroth, the Zandalari Trolls are the first native race. They created their empire somewhere around 16,000 years ago (according to Chronicle). Night Elves would be a bit younger than them, having evolved from Dark Trolls (which evolved from Forest Trolls, which evolved from Zandalari), and the Night Elf Empire was at its height (and end) around 10,000 years ago.

Technically, Dwarves (as a race) would be older than Trolls, due to the Earthen being created by the Titans to combat the Black Empire long before the Zandalari came into existence. However, I didn't really count them because Earthen are considered another race entirely nowadays, with current Dwarves and Gnomes coming into existence long after Tyr, Ironaya, and Archaedas fled Ulduar, with the latter creating Uldaman in somewhat recent history. Likewise, Humans first came into existence from cursed Vrykul around the same time that the Curse of Flesh changed Earthen and Mechagnomes into Dwarves and Gnomes in Uldaman.

However, it's hard to say if Earthen and Mechagnomes are older than Eredar - there's really no time period in Chronicle for the existence of the Black Empire or the Ordering of Azeroth. However, we do know that Dwarves are older than Orcs, because Aggramar was part of the Ordering of Azeroth (helping create Keepers/Watchers and other races on Azeroth) before he ever went to Draenor to create Grond - pretty much right after he created Grond, he left Draenor to investigate the disappearance of a Constellar (like Algalon), which led to his death to Sargeras.

[Syegfryed]

Technically, Dwarves (as a race) would be older than Trolls, due to the Earthen being created by the Titans to combat the Black Empire long before the Zandalari came into existence. However, I didn't really count them because Earthen are considered another race entirely nowadays, with current Dwarves and Gnomes coming into existence long after Tyr, Ironaya, and Archaedas fled Ulduar, with the latter creating Uldaman in somewhat recent history. Likewise, Humans first came into existence from cursed Vrykul around the same time that the Curse of Flesh changed Earthen and Mechagnomes into Dwarves and Gnomes in Uldaman.

the trolls were not alive when the black empire was a thing? i remember they killing a cthraxx and fighting against the old gods insect spawns

[Dalheim]

the trolls were not alive when the black empire was a thing? i remember they killing a cthraxx and fighting against the old gods insect spawns

That was long after that, and it was against Kith'ix (I think that's the correct one) and during the War against the Aqir, 16k years ago.

[Destinas]

the trolls were not alive when the black empire was a thing? i remember they killing a cthraxx and fighting against the old gods insect spawns

No, they were fighting remnants of the Black Empire. Kith'ix (who was defeated by Tyr & company) was awakened by a Gurubashi Troll at the base of Zandalar's mountains, causing the Troll-Aqir War. Mythrax destroyed Vol'dun around 16,000 years ago.

Trolls were mentioned as coming "from the wilds" after the Black Empire - after Y'Shaarj was plucked from Azeroth's surface, creating the Well of Eternity, and after the Wild Gods came into existence from other pools of Azeroth's blood. Trolls were able to thrive because the Black Empire was defeated. Things like Uldir were created after the Black Empire, but before the Zandalari Empire.

[Syegfryed]

No, they were fighting remnants of the Black Empire. Kith'ix (who was defeated by Tyr & company) was awakened by a Gurubashi Troll at the base of Zandalar's mountains, causing the Troll-Aqir War. Mythrax destroyed Vol'dun around 16,000 years ago.

Trolls were mentioned as coming "from the wilds" after the Black Empire - after Y'Shaarj was plucked from Azeroth's surface, creating the Well of Eternity, and after the Wild Gods came into existence from other pools of Azeroth's blood. Trolls were able to thrive because the Black Empire was defeated. Things like Uldir were created after the Black Empire, but before the Zandalari Empire.

That was long after that, and it was against Kith'ix (I think that's the correct one) and during the War against the Aqir, 16k years ago.

then probably the trolls existed, or even the race who gave birth to trolls before the black empire, they just hadn't form a big civilization yet

[Dalheim]

then probably the trolls existed, or even the race who gave birth to trolls before the black empire, they just hadn't form a big civilization yet

Not impossible, but nothing has been mentioned about it.

It's possible that the trolls, if they existed, during the Black Empire were used as slaved, but we don't know.

[Tyrealius]

Velen is older then the orcs as a race.
let that sink in.

Technically Velen is older than the Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Night Elves, Worgen, High Elves, Blood Elves, Forsaken, Trolls, Orcs, Tauren, Goblins and Pandaran. So... yeah he would win for oldest Non-Azerothian race (unless we count Titans or Void Lords or Old Gods) while on Azeroth it's probably like to be the Aqir as the oldest, behind the Old Gods and then just Trolls in general for the oldest playable race.

[cparle87]

I know the oldest race (from Azeroth at least) are the trolls, and I believe they are older than the orcs... I'm not sure about the Draenei, though.

Orcs are up there too. Aggramar created Grond, who spawned colossals, who spawned magnaron, etc etc until we got orcs. Grond was created sometime after the fall of the Black Empire, whose date we do not know. But was likely well before 25,000 BDP when the dragonflights were empowered.

[Destinas]

then probably the trolls existed, or even the race who gave birth to trolls before the black empire, they just hadn't form a big civilization yet

That's not how it's described in official sources. Here's the timeline.

-Elementals rage across Azeroth
-Black Empire
-Ordering of Azeroth begins
-Y'Shaarj is squished, Old Gods imprisoned, Elemental Lords imprisoned
-Well of Eternity inadvertently created, other pools of blood created (Vale, Un'goro, Sholazar, etc)
-Life begins to bloom on Azeroth again due to Titan/Keeper/Watcher involvement (creation of the Emerald Dream, Uldir, Ulduar, Uldum, etc)
-Trolls "emerge from the Wilds"
-Yogg's prison weakens, corrupts Loken, Tyr flees, Kith'ix and Zakazj are sent to hunt him down
-Zakazj defeated with Tyr at what is now Tirisfal, Kith'ix defeated at what is now Zandalar
-Troll empire begins, other Troll subspecies evolve
-Gurubashi Troll finds Xal'atath, awakens Kith'ix at Zandalar's mountains (it's described as an ancient evil mound)
-Troll-Aqir war begins, Mythrax destroys Vol'dun, double-KO'ed by Sethraliss
-Other empires, rest of history

Trolls were specifically first mentioned as coming into existence long after the Black Empire - it's implied to be thousands upon thousands of years. Azeroth needed to heal for a long time after the Black Empire basically wiped out all life via the Old Gods and Elemental Lords, with the Titans scouring all of that as well for life to begin anew. Trolls are seemingly the "new" life that came from the peace the Titans created. Some fans even speculate that Trolls are byproducts of the Titans' research in Uldir, or creations of Azeroth herself.

[horbindr]

if memory serves trolls are definitely the oldest race originating on azeroth.

but debating trolls vs draenei vs orcs is a bit trickier:

-orcs are the ones without a titan soul to boost them (i think?) so this could imply that they evolved slower and thus from longer ago.
-trolls was kind of a "re-start" of the planet after the titans cleaned the place up, which means they are more likely to be relatively young. combine that with the relative diversity of advanced life on azeroth compared to other known planets, and its even more reasonable to assume that the trolls didnt begin _that_ much earlier then others on azeroth.
-draeneis had an advanced civilization before sargeras showed up, which implies they are older. the titan soul on argus is also more mature (and thus maybe older) than azeroth. and argus didn't have a reset like azeroth that we know off.

so trolls are out, but orc v draenei im not so sure. draeneis probably win out depending on what time aggramar ran around draenor.

[Nnyco]

Draenai or Trolls.

[Combatbutler]

so trolls are out, but orc v draenei im not so sure. draeneis probably win out depending on what time aggramar ran around draenor.

The burning crusade literally started when Agrramar had just started to meddle with Dreanor 25k years ago.

[Aurabolt]

Velen is older then the orcs as a race.
let that sink in.

And Velen's not even the oldest Draenei. Let that sink in.

There's one you encounter in on Azuremyst Isle or Bloodmyst Isle--I can't remember where exactly--who states Velen is 12,000 years his junior which would make that one 42k. Draenei appear to be like lobsters: Biologically immortal.

[Ramz]

I didn't claim they were older than the Eredar.

But we don't know for sure how ancient the Zandalari are, nor the Eredar. But my money is still on the Eredar.

Yeah same,

Trolls are deffinietly the oldest on Azeroth, and at the time od 16k years ago the empires already existed, so I assume that at least ~ 10k years they had to spread, to form other empires and change their looks to adapt to environment.

But eredar are likely Older. We need to take into consideration that Azeroth is relatively young for a planet.

Not impossible, but nothing has been mentioned about it.

It's possible that the trolls, if they existed, during the Black Empire were used as slaved, but we don't know.

Or they were hiding like Krokuul on Argus.

[Kwento]

Outside of Azeroth - Draenei
Native to Azeroth - Zandalari Trolls